Life Unexpected
by BookWorm4Life17
Summary: Bella's career as a writer has taken off over the past 2 years with the love of her life, Edward, at her side. What could stand in her way? Answer: Life. Can Bella find a balance between the unexpected and her successful career?  Sequel to L.&O.L.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, readers,I am a bit behind on my schedule for this one because I could not think of a name. I'm still not sure of it, but oh well. Anyways ****this is one is a bit different than the last story. It has some extra depth that the last story may have lacked. I had a lot of fun writing it so I hope you enjoy it. Don't worry there is still the magic that is B&E, just them facing different obstacles. **

**I hope my story line is not too cliche' for some of you! (You will understand what I mean after this chapter) **

**The next couple of chapters are written, however, I will only be posting about once a week until I get farther ahead. I want to stay on top of this story.**

**So without further rambling, I give you chapter one.**

**Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

Bella Swan lay in bed, finally asleep. She was wrapped up in her sheets and blankets after a night of tossing and turning. She spent most of the night up nervous for the big day to arrive. It was a day that would test if she was only a one hit wonder or if she actually had talent. What she dreaded most was that the attention that would be on her. She hated that.

Today, November 19th, was the day that her second novel was set to be released. Her first one, Love and Other Lies, had sold seventy-five thousand copies in the past two years. The success of the book had been better than what everyone had predicted- well almost everyone.

Bella's publishing agent, Mr. Davis, had arranged a small release party for her new book. She was scheduled to read the first chapter of the book followed by a quick signing at a small book store in Phoenix. It was a way to gain positive publicity and to thank her readers for their support.

After the numbers came in, her publisher wanted to know if she would write another one. She had of course, continued to write after the first one was finished, but never expected them to want a second book so soon. With a lot of encouragement from friends, family, and her readers, Bella agreed to give them two more novels.

"Okay," a voice spoke softly. "Today, the nineteenth day of November is an important one. In fact I have dedicated my day to getting it all on tape."

Edward narrated the video he was recording as he walked into his bedroom at eight in the morning. The camera focused on his sleeping girlfriend as he approached her side of the bed slowly. Her steady breathing can be noticed from the slight rise and fall of the blankets that covered her.

"Here we see our favorite author and journalist getting her sleep." At this point Edward had the camera less than a foot away from her face. "Maybe if we are lucky we will be able to hear her say something brilliant in her sleep. She does that quite frequently."

Bella rolled over so her face was no longer in front of the camera. "Honey, I love you, but if you don't get that camera away from me I will throw you across the room. "

"Oh that's my girl. It was love at first threat," he told the camera. Edward walked over to the other side of the bed. "Isabella now that you are awake, is there anything you want to tell your adoring fans?"

"My boyfriend is insane," she said before burying her face in her pillow.

Edward turned off the camera and stuck it down on the nightstand before climbing into bed next to her. He nudged her shoulder with his nose as a way of surrender. She peeked up from the pillow. He smiled at the way her hair lay like a bird's nest around her face.

"Is the camera gone?" He showed her his hands. She then sat up on her elbows. "Good morning," she told him before kissing him.

"It is a good morning," he told her as he pulled her into a sitting position against his side. She smiled up at him. "How are you feeling," he asked while playing with her untidy hair.

"Completely nervous," she said honestly.

Bella may have been worried about today, but what she was most nervous about was her new assignment. Today was also the beginning of a new adventure in her journalism career. She had recently started a job with a new magazine, The Informant. It was one that focused on the real biting news of today. With her background at a women's magazine, Bella was hired to write articles geared towards the female readers- articles about issues other than finding Mr. Right or the perfect pair of shoes. Last week Bella wrote about the stereotypes of women in the workplace. The week before she had written about women in the military. It had been relevant with the recent controversy of women serving in combat units. She had even spent a week emailing a psychologist at the University about the different psychological components between men and women. This week, however, Bella was given a long term assignment.

Bella Swan would be getting her first hand experience as an undercover reporter. She would be traveling away from the state of Arizona to the all too familiar state of Washington. There has been a recent spike in the number of teenage pregnancies at a local high school. Her boss had asked if she would be up for getting the details. He wanted to know if it was a copycat of the pregnancy pact that had occurred a couple of years prior at another high school. Or if there was an internal problem in the school's curriculum. Bella was surprised to hear that the school in question was Forks High School. The town of Forks was where her father, Charlie lived. It was also where she spent a week of her summer vacation each year until she was eighteen, when she moved up there for college. It was this background, that qualified Bella for the job. She would be going undercover in the high school as a substitute English teacher.

"Earth to Bella," Edward's voice called to her.

"Sorry?"

"You were thinking deeply about something weren't you?" His hands were clearing the hair off the back of her neck.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I guess. I was just thinking about everything coming up. I've never been away from home for that long."

"You will do great," he encouraged.

"I hope I can pull this off."

"If anyone can, I know you will be able to. Now I know the real reason you're bummed."

"Really," she said raising her eyebrows. "And what's that?"

"You are going to miss me of course," he teased.

This was true. Edward and Bella had sat down to discuss the possibility of her leaving for a month. Originally she wanted him to come with her; however he still had the rest of the fall semester to teach. Edward would be coming up to Forks when classes let out though. The two of them agreed to spend Christmas with Charlie, Bella's father, since she was going to be staying with him for a month while she was on assignment.

Edward may have been right about her missing him, but Bella was not going to let him know that. "You wish, Masen. I will be chanting 'free at last' as I walk onto that plane tonight." Bella tried scooting away from him, but he held her fast around the middle.

"Is that so," he gave her a gentle squeeze before capturing her lips causing her heart to beat faster. Her lips molded perfectly with his. "You're not going to miss that," he asked with a smirk as she tried catching her breath once the kiss was broken.

"Not really," she managed.

"How about this-"he leaned in to torture her some more, but a feeling of nausea hit Bella suddenly causing her to jerk forward and away from him. Her hand went to cover her mouth while the other held her stomach. "What's wrong?"

Bella did not respond. However, she pushed herself away from him and out of bed. She shot across the room and down the hall, just making it to the bathroom as she emptied last night's dinner into the toilet. When she thought it had passed, she was wrong. This time, though, Edward was holding her hair as she leaned back over the porcelain bowl.

Edward did not say anything until she was finished. He grabbed a tissue as he helped her clean up.

"Thanks," she spoke, her voice raspy. Edward filled a cup with water and handed it to her.

"Are you okay," he asked when she finished drinking.

"Yeah," she said. "I think these nerves are getting to me."

Edward put his arm around her. "If it's going to affect your health then-"

Bella held a hand up and he stopped talking. "Yeah I am a bit nervous and have a serious case of butterflies, but I will be alright. Okay? You have nothing to worry about."

"Okay," he nodded his head. "But if you expect me to not worry, well I cannot make any promises."

"I know," she sighed, before standing up. "Let me get cleaned up and then I can make us some breakfast."

Edward shook his head. "You get cleaned up. I will take care of breakfast." He kissed her on the forehead before heading into the kitchen.

Bella made her way back to Edward's bedroom. She walked over to his dresser where he had cleared his top drawer out for her and grabbed a pair of shorts, underwear, and a bra. She then grabbed her favorite t-shirt of his out of the second drawer. It was the Oxford one that held special memories from before they had started dating.

Before heading into the bathroom, Bella had to grab something out of her purse. At the bottom of her handbag, she found the pink rectangular box that she had purchased late last night. Bella had stopped at a drug store on her way home from dinner with Rosalie, Emmett, and their baby, Emma.

Rosalie and Emmett had only been married seven months, before she learned that she was pregnant. They both had been equally thrilled. Rose had always wanted to be a mother. She used to tell Bella and Alice that it felt like something she was meant to be. Emmett was excited about being a father, almost as much as he was about Rose's happiness. They had both always wanted a big family.

The original plan for Bellas was to leave their house by six. She was going to stop at the drug store, buy a test, and then take it before Edward got home. He taught an evening class on Mondays and Fridays this semester, which guaranteed he would not be home before eight. However, things never go as planned.

Emma, now seven months old, did not want anyone, but Bella to hold her. She did not want either Emmett or Rose, not even her favorite aunt, Alice, who was also there with her husband, Jasper, to hold her. Whenever Bella tried to put her down, Emma started to cry. Finally Rose begged Bella to stay until she fell asleep. Emma was wide awake until nine-thirty. It was a little later when she had finally fallen and stayed asleep. Bella did not walk into Edward's apartment much before ten-thirty. He had, of course, been home and greeted her with smiles.

"Hey," Edward's voice made Bella jump.

She spun around hiding the box behind her back. "What's up, babe?"

He eyed her suspiciously before continuing. "Alice just called. She wanted to know if we would be up to having a late lunch with them today. I am up for it, but I wanted to check with you. Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yep," she said quickly. "I am great. And a late lunch sounds great as well." Bella had forced the biggest smile on her face. It was starting to make her cheeks hurt.

"Okay," he nodded his head slowly. "I will go tell her then." Edward gave her another look before backing out of the room slowly.

When he was finally gone, Bella let out a sigh of relief. She gathered her stuff together, slipping the test under her clothes. Bella then shot back down the hall and into the bathroom. She closed and locked the door behind her.

.…

Bella sat on the floor of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. The shower was still on to fool her lover. The door remained locked. The water from her hair dripped down her shoulders, but Bella did not care. She stared at the pink positive sign that stared back at her.

The signs had been there. She was late. It had been about eight weeks since the beginning of her last period. Bella had written it off as stress and also the fact that she had not been eating right. It has happened before. She had figured that the process of the past two months was starting to take a toll on her. Then with her upcoming trip, it was all so overwhelming. However, when she had started getting sick almost every day for a week, she became concerned. So this should not have come as such a big shock, but Bella felt like she was on the verge of a panic attack.

Having a baby was something that she thought about happening a few years down the road- certainly not now. Bella and Edward had not even discussed the possibility of having kids for the two years they had been dating. The only time it had ever been mentioned, was when her mother had brought it up at Rosalie's wedding, two years ago. Sure she had imagined what it would be like to have children with Edward. She had visions of little boys and girls with her dark brown hair and his piercing green eyes running into the room in the morning to wake them. They were wonderful dreams; however it had never really bothered her that Edward had never brought up the idea of kids. She was only twenty-five. They had plenty of time for that.

Another side of her- the one that Rosalie and Alice told her to never listen to- started to think that maybe, Edward never wanted kids. Maybe he hated kids. No. That's not true. He absolutely adored Emma. But he may have never wanted kids of his own. Maybe he would feel trapped if he realized she was pregnant. She did not truly believe that either. The real doubts were her own. Was she really ready for everything that came with children right now?

_Damn. Why had we never had this talked about this before? It was probably the same reason why we never discussed marriage._

A knock at the door interrupted Bella's panicked thoughts. "Breakfast is ready. Is everything okay in there?"

Bella stood up and turned off the shower. She paused for moment- thinking about what to say.

"Um yeah," was the only thing she was able to get out.

"Okay." She could hear him outside the door. Bella imagined him hesitating like he usually does when he knows that she's not telling him the complete truth. She has not seen that look since they started dating. She then heard him walk down the hall and into the kitchen.

As she got dressed, Bella decided that there was a chance that the test was wrong. She was going to need to set up a doctor's appointment after she got back and pray that her little friend makes an appearance soon. She knew if she told Edward of her suspicions he would try to convince her not to leave. Bella decided that she would be back in a month and that she would just take necessary precautions until then. No alcohol and she would eat healthier. She could not be any more than two months along if she was.

Once her hair was brushed she stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself from a side view. She lifted her shirt and patted her flat abdomen. She then attempted to push out her stomach to imagine a possible baby bump, but could not.

Bella sighed once more before leaving the bathroom. She had wrapped the test in toilet tissue and stuck it back into the box. She then placed it in a plastic bag and put it at the bottom of her suitcase that she would be taking with her. She was going to have to dispose of the evidence before she left.

"Yum, something smells good," she declared as she walked into the kitchen. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before sitting down opposite of him at the table that she helped him pick out two years prior.

"I made your favorite," he smiled. On the table sat the one thing that Edward was able to make, omelets.

"Thank you," she said before taking a bite. "I have really been craving this," Bella paused. "I mean I have really wanted this."

"Well I am glad I made it than," he told her. Bella could feel his eyes on her, so she opted to keep her head down and eat.

Edward had just finished his own eggs. He then picked up the video camera that Bella had failed to notice. "You better not think about recording me eating, Masen."

"Relax. I am charging the battery right now." He put his hands up in defense. "Besides I should be able to record my last day with my girlfriend before she leaves me for a month. I may forget what you look like!"

"It's only a month Masen," she shook her head at him. "So what time are we meeting up with Alice and Jasper?"

"We will be meeting Alice, Jasper, Rose, Emmett, Emma, Carlisle, and Esme," Edward counted off the names on his fingers, "at the diner around two."

"Ah, so it will be a family affair," Bella laughed. "It will be a nice little distraction."

"That's what I figured," he said.

"Okay, so let's go over the plan for today one more time."

Edward shook his head at her. He was used to his girlfriend's need to over schedule everything. "Okay," he sighed.

"So now we are going to lunch with Alice at two, so this means I will need to be ready by one instead," she said making a mental note. "I am supposed to meet with Mr. Davis at five, right?"

"Correct," Edward nodded. "You will do the reading at six and start signing when you are done until eight."

"Then I catch my plane at nine, arrive in Forks by midnight, then revisit the Hell that is high school at seven in the morning," she finished. "I am exhausted just thinking about it." Once she was done eating, she picked up the plates to wash them along with the rest of the breakfast dishes.

"I think you need to schedule naps," he told her.

"I hope the kids aren't too mean," she said seriously.

"I'm sorry I won't be there to protect you," he gave her that crooked smile. Edward lifted up his video camera and slid the battery back in. "Now I never got that word to your fans," he said putting the camera to his eye. He focused in on her standing at the sink.

"Edward," she warned. "There are other things that you should be doing today. Don't you have papers to grade?"

"Eh," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I will get to them. This is more important. It's a big day for my love." It always made her weak in the knees when he called her that.

Bella sighed. "What if we are making a bigger deal about this than we should?" She started scrubbing the frying pan. "I mean people liked the last book, but what if this one has lost that spark that many of my readers liked about the first one. You know, what made it so relatable?"

This new book Bella had published was about a young woman, Josie, who travels the world as a part of her job. She is an international reporter and it is her job to get the latest stories around the globe, first hand. Bella usually looked to herself for inspiration of the main character; however she found herself looking towards her character for inspiration today. The woman was very career focused and driven, but she somehow manages to find romance on almost every continent she visits. Whenever one looked as if it could be forever, Josie decides to follow her career as it takes her away. She keeps up this pattern until one day she meets this man, Patrick, who she could not decide if she hated or loved. They strike up the one thing that Josie does not have many of; a friendship. When Josie has to leave, Patrick vows to stay in contact. They maintain communication by exchanging emails every day. Josie tells him about everything that she experiences and sees in the foreign countries that she visits, while Patrick tells her about what he learns as he studies to become a doctor. When Patrick tells her that he has met a woman that he thinks he may love, Josie is heartbroken. She must decide if what she feels for him is love before it is too late.

"Hey, I know I may not be a woman, but I still thought it had plenty of sparks. Maybe even more than the first one," Edward told her. He had been the first one to read the book when she had finished.

"You are sweet," Bella walked over and gave him a kiss once she put away the last plate. "I just hope everyone else feels the same way." She looked down as he held her hands before popping her head back up. That glint that Edward loved so much in her eyes. "Now if you are done videotaping, I can think of another way to be distracted." She gave him a mischievous smile before exiting the kitchen.

Edward turned the camera around to face him. "Well this is Edward Masen signing- Oh never mind." He shut off the camera and left it on the table. He then chased his girlfriend down the hallway, scooping her up into his arms along the way.

…

"So what are we telling everyone," Bella asked pointing to her own eye. She kept her eyes focused on the road. They were on their way to the diner.

"I am just going to say I ran into a door," he said grumpily.

"I said I was sorry," Bella said. "It's not like I did it on purpose. It's actually rather embarrassing."

The two of them had been lying on his bed, her t-shirt already lay forgotten on the floor. Edward had been slowly lavishing her neck with kisses. Painfully slow for Bella. So in an attempt to speed up the process, her hands roughly pulled at the bottom of his shirt as she tried to rip it off of him. Edward was having none of that as he grabbed a hold of her hands and held them in one of his. Bella found she was unable to think clearly as she felt him begin to nibble at the sensitive skin behind her ear. His other hand began to play with the lace on the front of her bra causing her skin to feel as if it were on fire. Bella's mind had begun to wander as her eyes had rolled upwards in a surrender as she allowed him complete control over her body. She was lost in his touch, when her eyes caught sight of a picture of Emma sitting on top of Edward's dresser. Suddenly, the thought of babies popped into her head. She started to distantly remember the pregnancy test she had taken not even two hours prior. It had been the direct result of doing what she was about to do.

Panicked; Bella had shot forward and in the process nailed Edward in the eye with her elbow. Killing the mood as a result. She had not registered what she had done until she was on the other side of the bed, away from him. Bella had immediately begun to apologize while at the same time covering her body with her arms. Her excuse was that she saw a bug on the nightstand.

"I am not mad at you Isabella. Even though you did react that way to a bloody spider," he mumbled the last part. "Does it look that bad?" Edward removed the icepack from over his eye.

Bella glanced over. His eye had started off a shade of red and now it was a dark purple. "You should really keep that ice on it."

"Ugh."

"But I think you look kind of dangerous," Bella offered. She really did feel guilty.

Edward let out a sigh.

Bella pulled the Volvo into a parking space on the side of the diner next to what appeared to be Carlisle's car. When he got out of the car, Edward walked over to the driver's door and opened it. Bella grabbed his hand as she climbed out of the car. She was straightening her dress, when Emmett pulled up next to them.

"What happened to you," he asked as he unbuckled Emma from her car seat. The sleeping baby was bundled up in her winter coat as well as a hat and mittens. "You look like you lost a fight. Did Bella do this to you again?"

"Obviously Bella knows how to keep her man in line," Rosalie winked at her best friend.

"Actually," Edward said clearing his throat. "I ran into a door." The other couple stopped and looked at him.

"Is this like the whole 'You are with a person long enough you start looking like them'? Except in your case, you become as klutzy as them." Emmett observed his cousin's eye closer.

"Emmett do you mind," Edward said as he took a step back.

"How about we go in and sit down Esme and Carlisle are already here," Bella suggested suddenly.

"Yeah," Rosalie said taking the baby from Emmett. "I do not want Emma out in this cold for too long."

"Besides, I can't wait for Mom's reaction to Eddie's eye."

Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's waist. "Thank you." He whispered into her ear.

Esme's reaction to Edward's eye was just as they had predicted. She demanded to know what happened right away. After making up an elaborate story of how he was not watching where he was going when he ran into the door, Alice and Jasper walked in. Edward then explained for the third time what had "happened" as they gasped when they saw him.

Once everyone had settled down and ordered their food, Bella watched her family talk, with excitement, to one another as if they had not spoken in weeks. Coming from a small family, biologically- Bella has always felt blessed to have all of these amazing characters in her life. She has always believed that she was a part of something special.

Rose was in the middle of telling Alice and Esme how Emma tried to pull herself into a standing position that morning. Most babies were still crawling at this age, but not Emma. She gushed about how advanced her baby was. Bella's hand automatically went to touch her flat stomach.

"And then all you have to do is pat that baby to make sure it's secure and you are good to go." Bella popped her head up at Jasper. He was explaining something automotive related to Edward.

"'I'm late! I'm late, for a very important date. I'm late! I'm late!'". Bella's eyes darted over to the other end of the table. Emmett was reading to Emma from her Alice and Wonderland book. Bella could feel her stomach start to churn.

"Is everything okay, Bella," Carlisle asked, causing her to jump.

Bella quickly brought her hands together. "What? Oh yeah. I am fine, just working through nerves." She wondered if Carlisle could interpret her actions. He was an obstetrician.

Carlisle gave her one of those all-knowing fatherly looks. "Well I'm not buying that, but I have learned that things do come out eventually in this family." He paused for a moment to give her a chance to respond. When she didn't he continued. "So how has your work at the new magazine been going? Do you like it?"

"It's going really good," she said enthusiastically. "I love it."

"So you are excited about this trip than?"

"Yes. I am a little concerned about pulling it off. I have never been a very good actress," she smiled. "However I can't wait to get an idea of what has been going on. It may all just be an unfortunate coincidence, but we have been getting hints from inside that there may be more to it than that. My job really isn't to expose or embarrass these young girls. And we also want to avoid bringing more media attention to it because we want to avoid glamorizing it. My job is to first off figure out what has been going on and then find out why there has been such a spike in the pregnancies. We are trying to figure out if it's lack of education on the subject or if it's something that is trending socially. I will be researching the health class curriculum as well as studying the overall attitude of the school towards what's been going on. We already have full cooperation from the school's principal, as long as we follow their strict privacy policy."

"That does sound fascinating," Carlisle said leaning forward. The two then spent the rest of lunch discussing her assignment. By the end she had recruited the help of Carlisle in case she had any medical related questions.

When everyone was finished lunch, the waitress asked if anyone wanted desert. Bella felt as if she could go for a big piece of cake, but when everyone else said they were full she said the same. The waitress then brought out their check. Carlisle and Esme refused to let anyone else pay the bill, so the group walked outside to their cars.

"So what really happened to your eye," Alice turned to her cousin. "Was it the rough sex?"

Bella nearly choked on the air that entered her lungs. She started coughing. "Alice!"

"It's just a question," she said innocently. "Obviously Edward did not run into a door. So something else had to of happened."

"And sex is the first thing to come to mind?"

"Pretty much," she said with a nod.

"Well I hate to disappoint you, but I ran into a door. End of story."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Fine, you can keep lying; however, I will get the story out of Bella later."

When the couples finally departed and the girls had exchanged hundreds of hugs with Bella, it was still only four. "So what shall we do for the next hour," Edward asked Bella.

"Hmm," she put her finger to her chin. "I know!"

The two of them spent the next hour in the little used book store, Books in the Attic. They used to go here every other Sunday as a part of their routine. The couple would split up once they were inside and usually met up forty-five minutes later with a stacks of books in their arms. Bella liked it because it reminded her of the first day she had met Edward. She had run into him after not paying attention to what was going on around her. It was one of the best days of her life.

…..

"… and of course Josie could not give up the opportunity. She would get to live undercover in Kenya with the prime minister for at least a month. However, that was also over a month with no communication with her family. Would it really be worth it? Josie had already known the answer to that question."

Bella closed the book she had been reading from and placed it on her lap. She earned a polite round of applause from the thirty or so people that had shown up. The manager of the store then stood up.

"I hope you enjoyed that exert from the book! I would like to thank Ms. Swan for being here with us. Now if you have not done so already, you can purchase your own copy of _Around the Heart in 80 Days._ And if you would like it signed, we will start a line at that table in the front of the store and Ms. Swan will sign it for you!"

Bella had sat in the bookstore signing copies of her new book and talking with her readers. Many told her how much they adored her first novel. She loved hearing the stories of how the book had reminded them of their own lives. Bella had felt a lot more comfortable with this part of the release party. It was nice to talk with people that she obviously had a lot more in common with than what she originally thought.

A blonde haired woman had asked her if the first book was based off of a real life romance. Bella had nodded her head shyly. She then pointed out, to the women in line, Edward standing at the back of the store. He had been talking to a man, who Bella assumed was someone's husband or boyfriend. Edward must have sensed that he was now the focus of several women. He glanced over sending them a light wave and a smile. All the women started to giggle at getting his attention.

"He's very attractive," the blonde woman told Bella as she nodded her head in approval.

"Yeah, he is," Bella said sending Edward a wink.

…

Edward had driven Bella to the airport after she finished the signing. He walked her in and to the security gate. She had insisted that he did not have to wait with her when he had offered. The two of them were saying their goodbyes next to the security guards.

"Call me when you get there," Edward instructed her. "I want to make sure that you get in safely."

"I will," she agreed. Bella had her arms wrapped around his neck. Despite how calm she had been up this point, Bella was not prepared to say goodbye. It was going to be more difficult than she had originally thought. It was just hitting her how she was going to be waking up without Edward next to her. The two of them had never gone more than a week away from each other since they had started dating. It was not because they had to be together at all times, it was just that they never had to be apart.

"You better get going," he told her. "You don't want to miss your plane."

"Okay." Bella made no move to leave. Her fingers were still running through the bottom of his hair.

Edward gave her that smile that she loved. "You are going to have to let go, love." He reminded her, but still kept his hands on her hips.

Bella sighed. "I know. Not yet." She stood on her tippy toes to give him one last kiss as she pressed her body into his. She allowed her lips to memorize the shape of his as her tongue traced his bottom lip. He eagerly accepted it as she continued her inventory of everything about his mouth and the way it tasted. Her thumbs stroked the stubble around his chin. She loved that stubble.

When she finally pulled back, Edward gave her a look that was a mix of both lust and love "I will see you soon, love." His voice was rough. He then gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"Okay, love," Bella gave a final wave over her shoulder as she walked over towards the security.

* * *

**Oh my Edward. So what did you guys think?**

**Should I continue with this? I will no matter what, but you know, I like this open relationship that we have :)**

**Love,**

**BookWorm4Life**

**P.s. I hope no one took offense to Rose's little joke over his eye. In no way do I see domestic abuse as something to be laughed at. **


	2. Chapter 2

**School = No life for this BookWorm. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Much love to you guys as always =)**

**So this is a little late. Or a lot late. I have been super busy, but if anyone is still reading**

**Please Review and most importantly enjoy. **

* * *

Chapter 2

The sound of pop music had awoken Bella from a short-lasting sleep. She was lying in the same bed that she had occupied fifteen years prior in her old bedroom. By the time Bella had arrived at Charlie's house it was already one-thirty in the morning. After sending Edward a text that she had arrived safely, she had not even bothered to undress as she fell onto her old bed. Sleep had hit her before her head hit the pillow.

Bella glanced at the clock and groaned to see a five glowing back at her. She shut off the alarm before stumbling out of bed. She let out a yawn as she looked for her toiletry kit in her suitcase. Bella also pulled out the black pants and blue sweater that she had planned to wear. She was going to need to iron those. It was part of the reason why she had to be up so early after only a few hours of sleep. Today was going to be a long one.

After a quick shower, Bella slipped into a robe before heading down to the kitchen. There was still a half a pot of coffee left over. She suspected that she had just missed Charlie since it was still hot. He usually left at six and did not make it home much before five in the evening. That was the life of a police chief. It's one of the reasons Bella hated visiting when she was younger. He was always gone by the time she woke up so he had sent Ms. Marge, his elderly neighbor, over to babysit. Bella remembered that she smelled like milk and had taught her how knit. She used to tell her that it was a skill that all young ladies should learn. It would help their chances of getting a husband.

Once she was old enough to stay by herself, she did not mind it so much. The peace and quiet was nice. Unlike most kids her age, Bella would opt to curl up on the couch and read. The first evening that Charlie walked into the house he expected to see the aftermath of a party or a mess at the very least. He was shocked to see the house cleaned, Bella reading, and dinner on the table. She had only been twelve at the time.

Bella grabbed a cup of coffee and the iron as she walked back upstairs and to her old room. Everything in her old bedroom was the same as when she had first started visiting. The walls and door were the familiar shade of purple. The same tall wooden dresser stood next to door. Bella remembered the many times that she had run into it on her way to the bathroom. In the corner of the room, next to her closet was an old rocking chair that had belonged to Grandma Swan. The old computer that Charlie had picked up from a garage sale sat on the desk underneath the window.

After dragging the ironing board in from the hall closet, Bella set to work ironing her clothes. She had finished her pants, and was about to start on her shirt when she heard Beethoven 'Eroica' in E flat major begin to play. She knew right away that it was Edward calling. He had picked out the ringtone himself after telling her about its history and alleged connection with Bonaparte. It was a fascinating tale, but to be honest, Bella only thought about how beautiful the music sounded whenever she heard it. So it was a win for each of them. In return, Bella was put in charge of picking the ringtone for when she called him. She chose something a little less classy, but still a classic; "_Hello Goodbye"_ by the Beatles.

Bella leaped across the bed to grab her phone off the nightstand. "Hello, may I ask who's calling," she teased.

"It's your secret lover. Did you finally shake that old boyfriend of yours?"

Bella held in a laugh. It was always funny to hear his attempt at an American accent. "Oh I am so glad to hear from you. I did get rid of that extra baggage. Now we can finally be together, Alejandro."

"Meet me outside the chapel in an hour?"

"Oh I wish I could," she said as she turned the speaker on her phone and went back to ironing. "But I am in the middle of a very important mission; removing wrinkles from my clothes."

"Sounds dangerous."

"It is, but someone's got to do it."

"Damn," she heard his natural accent return. "What am I going to do without you?"

"You've managed for this long, I am sure you can think of something," Bella said with a laugh. Pause. "So do you have any tips for me oh wise teacher?"

"Well I am going to pretend that you truly meant that and that you were not just being sarcastic," she could hear the smugness in his voice.

"Of course," she laughed. "See I was thinking about the use of leashes and spray bottles of water."

"These are teenagers here, babe- not dogs." Edward laughed.

"They are worse than dogs," she told him seriously as she slipped on her pants. "They are animal like. Or so I have heard."

"You have to go in there and not show fear. You will gain respect that way."

"Duly noted," she was slipping on her shoes when she looked at the clock. _5:56_.

Bella grabbed her bag and phone as she hurried down the steps, completely forgetting about her coffee. She poked her head in the fridge to see if there was anything to make for breakfast. There was one egg left, half a gallon of milk, stick of butter, and beers in the fridge. The freezer contained frozen fish.

"Well it looks like I am going to have to do some shopping," she said as she walked around the kitchen while her phone sat on the table. "There is nothing to eat."

"You are going to need to find something," his voice lectured from the tiny device. "My girl is going to need her strength for the first day of school."

"Yes, father," she laughed.

"Thank God I'm not," she could hear the lust in his voice. It sent shivers down her spine.

"So what are you doing up this early?" It was an attempt to distract herself from the effect that his voice was having on her body. "You have evening classes today. Did you need to cover someone's class?"

"Can I not call to wish my secret lover good luck," he asked feigning hurt.

Bella decided to grab a pop tart before she headed out the door. "I will allow it."

She grabbed the keys to her old beast as she walked past the key hooks. When Bella had asked Charlie about staying with him while she went 'undercover', he had agreed, but did not like the idea of her driving by herself to Forks. He then suggested that she fly out and could use her old truck while she was in town. He told her he would get it checked out, but it should still run smoothly. She did not bother to ask where he would be going for the automotive check-up. She already had an idea.

"How did you sleep last night," Edward asked as she climbed into the truck.

"Like a rock, to be honest," she laughed. "I was so tired."

"I can imagine. "

"What are your plans for the rest of the day, Masen," she asked. "I mean besides missing me." In her mind Bella said a silent prayer that the beast would start before sliding the key into the ignition.

"Well I thought that in between my emotional breakdowns and through my heartache that I would catch up on grading papers before class."

"That's very responsible of you," she commended as she started her old truck. It roared to life causing Bella to jump.

Apparently Edward could hear it as well. "What was that noise?"

"The Beast," she said simply. "I am about to leave for school- I mean work?"

Edward let out a laugh. "Okay. Well I am going to let you go then. Be careful in that truck. I love you."

"Love you too. I will talk to you later," she told him before hanging up.

Bella Swan walked into Forks High School at six-thirty. The halls were almost empty since the late bell for homeroom did not ring until half past seven. She was able to find the office with ease because it sat right next to the front doors.

The secretary told Bella to have a seat as she went back to tell Mrs. Greene, the principal, that she was here. She was currently in the middle of an important phone call. Bella sat on a bench outside of her office as she waited. She could not get her knee to stop from shaking. It felt as if she was back in high school herself. Bella had never once found herself in the principal office and had always dreaded the idea. Bella had always been afraid of getting in trouble.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan," Mrs. Greene greeted her as she appeared from her office. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but if you will step in here."

Bella took a seat in front of her desk. It was a rather small office, not much bigger than a large closet. It did fit the rest of the school, which was also about half the size of a normal high school and about a third the size of her old one.

"So Ms. Swan," she started. "I just wanted to discuss the confidentiality agreement that we have agreed upon."

Bella nodded. "The privacy of these girls will be my number one priority."

"I am glad to hear that," she nodded her head. "Now there will be no mention of these girls and their families as well as the school. Correct?"

"Correct," Bella confirmed. "The school will have an alias and we will not be publishing any names or descriptions of these girls since they are underage. In the article it will be referred to the school of observation or something along those lines."

Mrs. Greene nodded her head as Bella had listed all of the components of their agreement. "Now do not take this the wrong way, Ms. Swan, but you see this as an opportunity for a story. I see this as a way of finding answers. I am concerned about what has been going on with these young girls. I am afraid that some of them are being misguided and making decisions that they are not prepared for. I want to know why and what can we do to help these young people."

Bella listened in silence as this principal showed a genuine concern for the well-being of these girls. Not once did she mention how this all reflected on her reputation as principal.

"I will do everything I can to give you answers," she told her with determination. "I also hope that my story will help other young girls to become aware and also have parents become more involved."

"I appreciate that dear." Mrs. Greene gave her a thankful smile. "Now I suppose you have some questions for me?"

"Right," Bella's journalist instincts kicked in. "Is the count of pregnancies still sitting at eight?"

Mrs. Greene gave a frown. "There was another young lady who has a confirmed condition."

"So the total is up to nine?" Not waiting for an answer, Bella continued. "The first girl to step forward, Nicki, is now six months along. Which means it must have occurred at the end of the previous school year."

"Yes. It was originally viewed as just something that accidently happened. That is until several teachers reported incidents where Nicki was practically bragging about her pregnancy to friends."

Bella scribbled a note in her notebook. "Did the concern grow when three more girls became pregnant the next month?"

"Yes, however, our fears were confirmed when last month four more girls came forward. Now there has already been one this month. I know this is something that is usually taken care of among the family; however, it seems to be affecting the entirety of this school. Several parents are looking towards the school for answers. Some are afraid that this will spread as if it were a disease to their daughters. Nine girls pregnant in six months in a school this small, Ms. Swan, is just unheard of."

After her conference with Mrs. Greene, Bella walked out of the office and into the now crowded hallway. There were freshmen students racing down to their homerooms, afraid of being late. Several of the older students, walked at an exaggeratingly slow pace. They had been doing this long enough to know that they had plenty of time to get there.

Bella received several curious stares from students who had never seen her before and were not sure if she was a student or teacher. There were glares from those who recognized her for what she was and saw her as just another authoritative figure in their lives. These were also the students who were attempting to intimidate the new teacher.

She quickly maneuvered her way through the crowd and to the classroom that she would be occupying for the next several weeks. It looked like the typical English room. There were posters of Shakespeare, Aristotle, Hawthorne, and Austen on the walls. There were famous quotes painted on the wall above the chalkboard.

Bella admired these touches as she walked over to the desk in the corner of the room. If she found herself too overwhelmed she could duck under the desk and use it as a fort. Let's hope it never comes to that. She placed her few belongings on her chair and stood up facing the rows of empty desks that would soon be filled by sixteen and seventeen year olds.

On the desk, Bella found a binder that had the words "Lesson Plans" written on the front. She flipped through the pages to find that every day for the next two months was clearly written out. There were class work and homework assignments as well as lecture notes. The tests and quizzes were also written up. All she had to do was make photo-copies of the worksheets that were included as well. This teacher would have given Bella a run for her money in the organization department.

Since she had no homeroom, Bella spent her extra time writing that day's objectives and assignment on the board. The class was to read _The Masque of the Red Death_, a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, out of their textbook and work individually on completing the questions that followed in the book. Bella had printed her name, 'Ms. Swan', at the top corner of the board.

When she had finished, Bella sat at her desk, nervous for the first bell to ring. The school ran on a block schedule. This meant that there were A days and B days. Each day the students would have four, ninety minute classes. They had each class every other day. In total there were eight classes that the student had to take. Bella had second period free for planning on A days.

After the bell had rang to signal the end of homeroom, students started to file into the English classroom. They all came in groups of two or three laughing and talking noisily to one another. Bella had smiled at the students as they walked in as an attempt to seem warm and friendly. She received blank stares and even glares in return.

Once the late bell had rung, Bella tried to call the class to order. Several people ignored her at first. After clapping her hands, she was finally able to gain their attention.

"Okay, class, as you know your teacher, Mrs. Thompson is going to be out for the next month or so," Bella tried to control the shaking of her voice. "My name is Ms. Swan and I will be her substitute for the next month."There were a few boos and a few high fives being exchanged. Bella was about to continue when a hand shot up from the back of the room. "Yes?"

"Like, how old are you," a blonde hair girl asked staring at her.

"I'm not sure how that is relevant," Bella started.

"You don't look much older than me," someone in the second row pointed out. "Are you even qualified to teach?" This lead the class to begin talking again.

Bella raised he voice above the noise. "I am twenty-five and am qualified to teach. I have a bachelor's degree in English and am currently working towards my masters." Only half the class was paying attention at this point. She then attempted to raise her voice even more to regain their full attention. "Now your teacher left you an assignment to be completed individually," she pointed to the board behind her. "I will be collecting it at the end of class.

Instead of opening their textbooks to read quietly, the class continued talking. They did however; slowly start to pull out their notebooks to write. It may not have been individual work, but at least they were working on something. Bella took a seat behind the desk as she watched the class work with one another.

It continued that way for the next eighty minutes when the bell finally rang. The students walked up and piled their papers in a basket on the corner of the desk before leaving. Bella let out a sigh of relief once the last student left the room. She had survived the first class and even got them to do their work.

Bella picked up the pile of papers to begin grading them. She had the next hour and a half free before the next class was due in. The first question asked what the students thought the clock represented in the story and what does it mean when it stops?

The first boy, Jordan answered: _The time that I am wasting reading this story and that I am never getting out of this class._

Next question asked what the color blue made him think of in relation to this lesson.

His answer: _That despite the grandma, blue sweater the sub is wearing, it still shows the potential of a nice rack._

Bella could feel her face turn red as she looked down at her shirt. It was not showing off a lot of skin and she did not think it was very tight. She scanned the rest of his paper to see that the all of his answers were just as sarcastic. In fact- after a quick glance, Bella noticed the rest of the papers were along the same lines. She sighed in frustration before dropping the papers back onto the desk. Bella then grabbed her phone to call the one person who could make her feel better.

"Hello, love," the English accent fills her ear.

"Edward," she spoke quietly.

"Are you hiding somewhere? I can barely hear you."

Bella forced a laugh. "Ha. I wish I was able to last period."

"What happened," his voice was sympathetic now.

"I was never meant to teach, that's what happened," she said impatiently. "Stick me in front of a notebook or a computer and I will give you perfection. Stick me in front of a class full of teenagers and I become ignored."

"Isabella," his voice soothed. "It was only your first class. It will get better once you get the hang of it. You have always been able to."

Bella shook her head even though he could not see her. "That's the thing, Edward; I do not think I will. It is all too terrifying. You should have seen the responses that these kids put down on their paper. They did not even take Poe seriously."

"You will figure something out, my Isabella," he reassured her. "You just have to find what works for you." He then paused for a moment and Bella could hear talking in the background. "Hey, how about you call me later tonight and we can talk about this some more? I had to head in early for an emergency staff meeting. Then I am just going to stay on campus and finish grading before my class."

Bella let out a sigh. "Fine."

"I love you."

"Love you," she mumbled into the phone.

For the remainder of her free period, Bella attempted to grade the rest of the papers. There were only a few that were actually appropriate. By the time she actually finished grading, her free period had ended. It was time for the second battle to begin.

This class walked in- in similar fashion as her first period. She was able to take their attendance, something she had forgotten all about doing before. The students raised a hand or let out a grunt in response to their name.

Before Bella could direct them to follow the instructions on the board, there was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor. A girl with short brown hair stood up suddenly. She had her hand covering her mouth while the other one rested on her stomach as she raced out of the room. Once she was out of sight, the class broke out into a buzz of sound.

"Oh my gosh," one girl leaned over to her friend. "I knew it."

"What is that number ten?"

"I never imagined Katie to be the type."

"She ran out of Spanish yesterday to puke."

Bella glanced around the room as the students spread gossip like a forest fire. It did not take a genius to realize that the main rumor: this young girl, Katie was pregnant. Realizing that this was something that she was supposed to be looking for, Bella's instinct kicked in for the second time that day.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," she stood in front of the class and spoke loudly. The students stopped and looked at her. "I want you all to get started on the assignment that your teacher left for you." Bella pointed to the board. "Yes, this means that you actually have to read the story. It will take you less than fifteen minutes to skim it- then another thirty to answer the questions. Even though it is to be done individually, I don't care if you choose to work in groups, but just keep the noise down. You are almost adults after all. This should not be too difficult for you."

Bella stood with her hands on her hips once she was finished her speech. There were people mumbling under their breaths, but they were actually pulling out their textbooks and notebooks. She watched them for a moment longer before excusing herself.

Bella slipped out of the classroom and walked next door to the ladies' bathroom. Inside she could hear the sound of someone coughing. It was the type of cough that was normal after a person vomits. Pushing the door open slightly, Bella heard the toilet flush. She had walked in just in time to see the young girl from her class stepping out of the stall.

Katie froze when she saw the substitute standing in the doorway. Her eyes were red and cheeks were stained from tears.

"Are you okay," Bella asked softly.

"I'm fine," she spoke quietly. The look of fear on her face was then quickly masked by one of anger. "You didn't have to follow me," she snapped this time.

Bella threw her hand up in defense. "I am sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Well I am," Katie's voice shook. "Besides I don't even know you."

"I know, but sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger. If you ever needed someone to talk to," she offered.

Katie just shook her head in disbelief. She pushed passed Bella and out into the hallway. Instead of turning towards the room, Katie walked the opposite way.

Bella stared after her before realizing that she should get back to her class. She was surprised when she walked in to find the students working as they talked quietly amongst each other. At least she was getting something right.

The same approach was taken by the amateur teacher for fourth period. Fortunately, this class was uneventful. The students kept their conversations to a low volume as they actually completed the assignment. Bella was also surprised to grade the most recent set of papers and to only find a handful sarcastically answered.

When the final bell rang, Bella packed up her belongings to head home. She collected the assignment from the students before they left for the day. To give the hallways time to clear, Bella hung around inside the classroom for a few of minutes before she left. She took this time to glance at the lesson plans for the next couple of months. They were to start reading "The Crucible" next week. She observed the desks and thought about how she wanted to rearrange them so the students were more in a group. It would make reading the play more interactive.

As she walked down the now empty hallways, ten minutes later, Bella started to wrap her scarf around her neck. She failed to pay attention to where she was going. Colliding with another person, Bella stumbled backwards and into a locker.

"I'm so sorry," she heard a deep voice apologize.

Bella looked up to see a tall, attractive man with short blonde hair staring down at her. He was muscular, but not as intimidating as Emmett. His eyes- blue- had a look of sincerity in them.

"It's okay," Bella shook her head. "I should have watched where I was going. I am a little distracted today."

The man gave her a charming smile. "We all have days like that. My name is Drew. Drew Manning," he said sticking out his hand.

Bella took his hand. "Nice to meet you Drew, I'm Bella Swan."

"You must be the new teacher."

"I'm just the substitute," she corrected.

Drew smiled at her again, "Well _Ms_. Swan, if these students give you a hard time, just let me know."

It did not go unnoticed by Bella at the emphasis he placed on her name. "Thanks, Mr. Manning. It's nice to know that I will have two people to turn to for advice. My_ boyfriend_ will be glad to hear it."

Drew gave a smile of defeat. "I should have known. Well Bella, the offer is still on the table. I can always use the friends."

"Okay, Drew," she agreed. "And I could definitely use some friends around here."

Bella told the man goodbye before walking out to her truck. Instead of heading straight home there was a pending need to stop at the store. She wanted to pickup something for dinner that night as well as to restock the refrigerator. If Bella was going to be staying here, she was not going to be able to eat fish every day.

When Charlie had walked in the door that evening, Bella had chicken parmesan on the table for dinner. The house was cleaned and the kitchen was stocked. She was also able to take care of some the laundry that had been piling up.

"Bells, something smells good," Charlie said as he kicked off his boots in the hallway. Bella was sure she would trip over those at some point tonight. "And the house looks great."

"Hey, dad," Bella walked over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I made your favorite.

"Thanks," he let out a grunt. His cheeks turned a slight shade of red.

The father and daughter sat in silence as they ate dinner. It had always been this way between the two of them. Bella had never minded the quiet though. Charlie was just naturally a quiet person. Renee' used to tell her that she got her father's sometimes a curse and sometimes a gift of being able to stay silent. Dinners between the three of them used to drive her mother insane if Bella did not speak up.

Before Bella climbed into bed that night, she slipped on a pair of old sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt that she had taken from Edward. As soon as she had it on, a feeling of comfort washed over her. She could smell Edward's familiar cologne on the collar.

Two years ago, if you were to tell Bella Swan that a single piece of clothing could leave her so affected, she would call you crazy. It was amazing how just the scent of a person could leave her at ease. Bella had always been a cynic when it came to love. She had always believed that very few were actually destined to find their true love. Never would she have believed that she would be that lucky.

Bella had been that lucky. Edward had been the only one who was able to wear down her stubborn attitude towards love. She realized how much she wanted and needed him in her life. The past two years with Edward were easily the best of her life. Sometimes it scared her to think about what her life would be like without him in it. She would always push those thoughts away.

As if on cue, Bella could hear her phone vibrate on her night stand.

_Good Night, my beautiful Isabella, I love you_

* * *

**So what did you think? Leave me a Review and let me know!**

**Next chapter up in a week? Hopefully. I have a small gap between tests and assignments then, so I will try to get it up by then.**

**Much love, **

**BookWorm4Life**


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